Hey freshmen, guess what! Apparently there are a whole bunch of secrets about Wittenberg life that the upper classmen “forgot” to tell us. We’ve compiled a list of things we wish we would have known 4 weeks ago, when we first got to campus.
1. Did you know there’s a playground? Yeah! So when you are overcome with the exhaustion from trying to be a “mature freshman,” you can let loose at the playground. Climb some rocks, swing on the swings, slide down a slide, play in the dirt, reminisce about your childhood days (that were actually only four months ago). Walk down the hill to commencement hollow, turn right and voila! PLAYGROUND!
2. Don’t kiss Wally Witt. Ever! Actually, just don’t touch him. You don’t wanna know what he’s been through.
3. Hey dummies, LOCK YOUR DOORS! It’s a crazy thought, but people steal things or play pranks. And when people are not in their right mind, they struggle to find their own doors. You don’t want any unwelcome midnight visitors. So lock your door; it’s safer and smarter.
4. For those of you who are sexually active, FUN FACT: there are free HIV tests at the Health Center in the basement of Shouvlin every first and second Tuesday of every month. It’s free, it’s anonymous, and they don’t use needles. And while you’re there pick up a free condom, because sex is expensive, but not as expensive as a child.
5. “Freshman Forgiveness”. Maybe you’ve heard the term, but do you know what it means? Yeah, we didn’t either. Turns out that freshman can drop a class at any point during the year and it won’t go on your record. So when you’re really struggling in your philosophy class and no matter how hard you work you can’t keep your grade up, drop it and it won’t matter. Just remember, when you’re thinking about pranking that senior down the hall, freshman forgiveness doesn’t work on upper classmen.
6. You may not realize this, but your parents are not ATMs. We know the food at Post is good, but money runs out quick. Keep tabs on your WittGold balance online at www.wittenberg.edu/dining. So when you’re sick of CDR food and Post is just too expensive, try something else. You can use WittGold at Founders, and they’ve got great deals, like 40¢ wings on Wednesdays. Also, did you know you can use meal swaps at Simply To Go in the Science Center? Lots of us freshman do not. Not only is it healthier and tastier, but all it will cost you is a meal swap.
7. And lastly, your RA is your friend. They are not tattle tales, and they should not be described as an exotic four letter word. They are there to help you out, and they are there to keep you safe. On that note, their jobs are already hard enough, so don’t make it harder on them. Clean up after yourself, be safe, be smart, and don’t throw up in the hallway. They really hate that.
College is supposed to be fun. So if you’re having a hard time and you have a question or need advice, EMAIL US! We bet there are a tons of other people pondering over the same thing we are. Also, if you have your own tips or advice you’ve gained since you’ve been here at Witt, EMAIL US! We’ll be glad to share with the rest of the Witt Community. If you have questions, we WILL find the answer.
(Allie Ogden and Maggi Quigley, ogdena@wittenberg.edu, quigleym@wittenberg.edu)
